Paroodectes

Paroodectes Temporal range: middle Eocene
Fossil of Paroodectes feisti
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Clade:	Pan-Carnivora
Clade:	Carnivoramorpha
Clade:	Carnivoraformes
Genus:	†Paroodectes Springhorn, 1980
Type species
†Paroodectes feisti Springhorn, 1980
Synonyms
synonyms of genus: Paroödectes (Springhorn, 1980) synonyms of species: P. feisti: Paroödectes feisti (Springhorn, 1980)

Paroodectes ("near Oodectes") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from clade Carnivoraformes, that lived in Europe during middle Eocene.

It lived in the rain forests and swamps and it was a prehistoric predator that had the size and the appearance of a cat and was well adapted to climbing, as is apparent from its limbs, joints and shoulder bones. Its long tail gave balance for tree climbing and jumping from branch to branch. Paroodectes probably hunted insects, rodents and small primates in the tree tops.

Only one species of Paroodectes (P. feisti) has been found, and this was at the Messel Pit located southeast of Frankfurt, Germany. The pit was formed during the Geiseltalian Period (or Middle Eocene) about 50 million years ago. The fossil was found by private collector Otto Feist in 1974. It was described in 1980 by Rainer Springhorn who said the following about the species: "The odontological features of the Messel-Miacid are nearest to the new world genus Oodectes from the Bridger Basin (Bridgerian). No direct relationship exists to European species. The structure of the postcranial skeleton shows great conformity with North American Miacinae. Differences result from proportions skull-length/stature and length of vertebral column/length of limbs. A well-developed clavicle is extant. Scaphoid, lunar and central are distinct. Metatarsals are elongated. Hand and foot are adapted to plantigrade locomotion. An arboricole [living in trees] habit is assumed. Some morphologic features are reminiscent of the Viverridae and some Procyonidae."

Phylogeny

The phylogenetic relationships of genus Paroodectes are shown in the following cladogram:

Carnivoramorpha	†Viverravidae  †Viverravoidea  ?  †Carnivoramorpha sp. (UALVP 50993 & UALVP 50994)  ?  †Ravenictis  sensu lato   ?  †Carnivoramorpha sp. (UALVP 31176)  ?  †Carnivoramorpha sp. (USNM 538395)  ?  †"Sinopa" insectivorus  Carnivoraformes   Clade "B"  †Eogale †"Miacis" sp. (CM 67873 & CM 77299) †Gracilocyon igniculus †Gracilocyon winkleri †Gracilocyon solei †Gracilocyon †Gracilocyon sp. (Jibou, Romania) †Gracilocyon rosei †Gracilocyon rundlei †Paramiacis  †Paroodectes  †Paroodectes feisti  †Oodectes jepseni   †Oodectes   †Oodectes herpestoides   †Oodectes proximus   †Oodectes pugnax   †Uintacyon hookeri   †Uintacyon rudis   †Uintacyon   †Uintacyon massetericus   †Uintacyon vorax   †Uintacyon asodes   †Uintacyon edax   †Uintacyon acutus   †Uintacyon jugulans   †Uintacyon gingerichi  †Xinyuictis †Zodiocyon †Miocyon †Simamphicyon  †Uintacyon sp. (USGS 1983)  †Messelogale †Quercygalidae  Clade "C"  †Palaearctonyx  (†Phlaodectes)  †Vulpavus ovatus †Vulpavus profectus †Vulpavus australis †Vulpavus canavus †Vulpavus completus †Vulpavus †Vulpavus farsonensis †Vulpavus palustris †Vassacyon †Dormaalocyon †"Miacis" exiguus †"Miacis" deutschi †Africtis  ?  †Carnivoraformes undet. Genus B †Dawsonicyon †"Miacis" boqinghensis †"Miacis" hookwayi †"Miacis" latidens †"Miacis" petilus  ?  †Carnivoraformes undet. Genus A †Miacis  Clade "D"  †Lycarion †"Miacis" hargeri  ?  †Ceruttia †"Miacis" invictus †"Miacis" lushiensis †Neovulpavus †Harpalodon †Procynodictis †Prodaphaenus  ?  †Walshius †"Miacis" gracilis †Tapocyon Carnivora (sensu stricto)	†Gracilocyon/Oodectes clade †Vulpavus clade
(Carnivora [sensu lato])

See also

• Mammal classification
• Carnivoraformes
• Miacidae